It seems that the Benin First Division Championship faced an early disruption after only one day of matches. The matches scheduled for the following Saturday were postponed by the Beninese football federation due to the Beninese cadets’ match against Gabon in Libreville, which was part of the last phase of the 2013 cadet CAN qualifiers.
However, this decision has not been well-received by the supporters of the competing clubs. There is frustration and confusion among fans, with some expressing their discontent. Critics argue that it is challenging to understand why a junior selection match, even if it is a national team engagement, should hinder the progress of the first division championship. They point out that none of these junior players are regular starters in the clubs involved in the championship.
A statement from mnafrica.net reflects the sentiment of the supporters, stating, “It is difficult to understand that a match which involves a junior selection, even if it is national, prevents the progress of the first division championship while none of these players are starters in the clubs involved in this championship. The road to achieving professionalism in South Saharan Africa is still very long.”
On the first day of the championship, ASPAC, the reigning champion, faced Mogas 90, the reigning holder of the Independence Cup, in a match that ended with a 2-1 victory for ASPAC. Junior Ellesha’s double in the 13th and 65th minutes secured the win for ASPAC, while Mogas 90 managed to reduce the score with a goal from Judicael Kouassi in the 80th minute.
